Nut-lock.



face thereof.

UNITED STATES PATENT Ormes ISAAC NEVTON BURNI'IAM, OF SOUTH MILLS, NORTH CAROLINA.

NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 639,144, dated December 12, 1899.

Application fled August 23, 1899. Serial No. 728,232` (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAAC NEWTON BURN- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Mills, in the county of Camden and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Nut-Lock, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to nut-locks, and particularly to that class employing a jam-nut for locking the main nut upon a bolt, and has for its object to provide an improved interlocking engagement between the two nuts and at the same time permitting of the nuts being readily disengaged, so as to remove the same from the bolt Without damage to the latter or to the nuts.

To these ends the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of partsas will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction may be made within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the improved nut-lock. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the spring-actuated pawl.

Corresponding parts in the several iigures of the drawings are designated by like characters of reference. 1

Referring to the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that the bolt is provided with oppositely-threaded portions l and 2, respectively, the outer portion 2 being of smaller diameter than the inner portion, so as to facilitate the positioning of the main nut 3. The outer face of this nut is provided with a plurality of radial ratchet shoulders or teeth t, with which the jam-nut 5 is adapted to engage.

The jam-nut is fitted to the smaller outer portion of the bolt and is provided with an opening or passage 6, extending entirely through the nut, from the outer to the inner Loosely mounted within the passage 6 is a pawl 7, having its inner end beveled, as at 8, and projecting beyond the inner face of the nut and frictionally engaging with the outer face of the main nut 3. It will be understood that the inner end of the pawl is beveled, so as to readily ride over the inclined faces of the teeth or shoulders on the main nut when the j am-nut is being tightened thereagainst, and the opposite side of the pawl will engage against the respective abrupt faces of the shoulders, so as to prevent unscrewing of the jam-nut. Provided in the outer face of the jam-nut is a recess 9, which is formed by cutting away about one-half of the outer face of the nut, and mounted therein is a sebmental spring-plate 10, having one end fixed by means of a suitable fastening 11 and the opposite free end thereof having the outer end of the pawl connected thereto, whereby the latter is yieldingly mounted.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that when the jam-nut is being screwed upon the bolt the inner beveled end of the yieldingly-mounted pawl will travel over the inclined faces of the shoulders upon the main nut, but will engage the abrupt faces of the respective shoulders, so as to prevent accidental unscrewing of the jam-nut. Thus it will be seen that the two nuts may be effectively locked together, and as they are each fitted to reversely-threaded portions of the bolt they cannot be turned while interlocked together. B y the employment of a segmental plate-spring located in a recess in the outer face of the j am-nut and extending to the outer edge thereof said spring is readily accessible to be forced outward from the face of the nut, so as to withdraw the pawl from engagement with the main nut when itis desired to remove the latter from the bolt. Furthermore, the plate spring does not present any projections which might become broken or cause accidental disengagement of the yieldinglymounted pawl. A knife-blade or other suitable pointed implement may be forced 4between the spring and the adjacent face of the jam-nut, so as to force the spring outward,

IOO

fitted to the respective threaded portions] thereof, the main or inner nut having its outer face provided With ratchet-shoulders, of a paWl passing loosely through an opening in the outer nut, and having its inner end frictionally engaging with the ratchet-shoulders of the inner nut, and a segmental plate-spring itted Within a similarly-shaped recess provided in the outer face of the outer nut, one

' Io end of the spring-plate being fixed, and the opposite free end thereof being positively oonneeted With the outer end of the pawl, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have heretoafixed my signature in 15 the Vpresence of two witnesses.

ISAAC NEWTON BURNHAM. Witnesses:

J. F. FOSTER, EUGENE SMALL. 

